An informal vote from wallets holding $159 million in Ether ( ETH ) has backed long-time Ethereum researcher Danny Ryan to be the sole leader of the Ethereum Foundation (EF). The vote underscores the leadership struggles at the foundation as its community calls for a leadership shakeup.

The site holding the vote features a simple yes or no choice as to whether Danny Ryan should named executive director of the EF. At the time of writing, 582 wallet owners have voted, with 569 (99.98%) in favor and just 13 (0.02%) against.

The voting is not official nor related to an EF proposal.

Ryan is well-known in the Ethereum community. He acted as lead coordinator for the Merge, which transitioned the network from a proof-of-work consensus mechanism to proof-of-stake. He also oversaw the launch of Beacon Chain in 2021. In September 2024, he stepped away from the Ethereum Foundation due to health issues.

Danny Ryan’s return? Ethereum wallets say yes image 0

Informal community vote backs Danny Ryan to lead the EF. Source: votedannyryan.com

The page was created by Fabrice Cheng, co-founder of Quadrata. According to Cheng, the pool is “merely a tool for the community to show their support in a more peaceful way than some of the harmful comments we’ve seen.”

Related: Ethereum can ship faster without ‘sacrificing its values’ — Paradigm

EF leadership battle continues as ETH loses traction

The calls for new Ethereum Foundation leadership have grown during this bull market as Ether, the second-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, has struggled compared to other top coins.

According to TradingView, ETH’s percentage of the overall crypto market cap is down 36% over the past year, while other cryptocurrencies like XRP ( XRP ) and Solana ( SOL ) have surged.

Much of the criticism has been directed at current Ethereum Foundation executive director Aya Miyaguchi, who has been at the helm since 2018.

In a recent X post, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin said Miyaguchi has faced undue criticism and even threats. Buterin reaffirmed his authority as head of the Ethereum Foundation, indicating that all decisions will remain in his hands until a proper board is established. He also criticized some in the crypto community, saying they are being hostile to top talent.

Related: Ethereum price will stick below $3.5K until these 3 things happen

Danny Ryan’s return? Ethereum wallets say yes image 1

Source: Vitalik Buterin

In a Jan. 15 X post, Ryan himself called for peace, saying: “Even if you want to see changes with the EF, and even if your criticisms are valid, please look toward and help build a positive future. Please, put the pitchforks away.”

Ryan has “opened a dialogue” about the new EF

After not posting since September 2024, when he left the Ethereum Foundation for health reasons, Ryan emerged in recent weeks with two lengthy posts on X. The aforementioned post called for peace within the community and extolled the virtues of Miyaguchi. The second elaborated on where he stands currently with the Ethereum Foundation and what his future may be there.

Notably, Ryan wrote that he has “opened a dialogue” with Buterin and others at the Ethereum Foundation about the possibility of being involved in this “new era.” The discussions, which started long before his post, are ongoing.

Related: Ethereum drops 7% in January, but next 2 months typically ‘very good’ for gains